British showjumper Joe Stockdale arrived in France this week in his role as alternate rider for the Great Britain showjumping team at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
For this momentous occasion, his equine partner Cacharel is now sporting some motivational horseshoes – which came as a complete surprise to her 24-year-old rider.
“I didn’t know anything about them,” said Joe, who made his championship debut at the 2021 European Championships and went on to help Great Britain win team bronze at the 2022 World Showjumping Championships, but he will be experiencing his first Olympics at Paris 2024 alongside team-mates Harry Charles, Ben Maher and Scott Brash.
One of the shoes reads “Good luck Joe” while another carries the equally inspirational motto of Joe’s late father Tim Stockdale, “No such word as can’t”. Tim was himself an Olympic showjumper who rode the great Corlato at the Beijing Games in 2008, .
Joe Stockdale’s horseshoe reads “No such word as can’t”, which was his late father Tim Stockdale’s motto.
Joe Stockdale ahead of Paris 2024: “They all surprised me”
Joe Stockdale credited farrier Nigel Turner for going to these fantastic lengths and he posted a video on social media of him picking up the mare’s feet to reveal the inspiring and touching design.
“My farrier has been with us for many years now and he’s done a great job and put something on that’s a little bit special,” said Joe. “It was nice when I went to pick up her feet and they all surprised me. It was a really nice little touch from him and a nice little reminder.”
Joe was picked as the alternate rider for Paris 2024 with 13-year-old mare Cacharel, who is co-owned by his mother Laura Stockdale and his step-grandmother Joy Cocklin.
The Paris 2024 Olympic showjumping begins on Thursday 1 August with the team jumping medals decided the following day, before the individual competition begins on Monday 5 August.
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